Circle of Animals – Destroy the Light

You can think whatever you want to think when you hear the terms Industrial and Experimental metal. It’s easy to automatically think of too many experiments gone wrong, too many bands which tried to incorporate as many elements as possible into their music and still fall short. Most fans of metal and extreme music in general have come to terms with what the term experimental has now come to mean. But Chicago’s Circle of Animals is here to instill hope in your heart with its debut album, Destroy the Light. Considering the current state of industrial metal, Circle of Animals can be seen as saviors of the genre.

The main two members of the band are none other than Minsk’ Sanford Parker and Yakuza’s Bruce Lamont. The fact that these two are seasoned musicians shines through the music, both in terms of compositional prowess and flawless production. For each track, the band invited a different drummer from any corner of the globe, which ensures that the drumming on the album constantly seems fresh from track to track. This is an interesting luxury which only makes the listening experience that much more fulfilling.

Each track on here has something great to offer, but it’s clear to me at this point in time that No Faith and All Spirit/No Mind are the standout tracks. The former could easily become an industrial metal anthem, if anything. It boasts this certain contained intensity without going overboard. The latter is a little slower, like a dying bacteria. There’s something really intense yet under control about this album that really enhance the overall experience.

It seems like in a very small span of time, my hope for industrial metal has been reinvigorated. This album is professional, highly enjoyable and profoundly fabricated in terms of composition, musical performance and production. Definitely a great new band to look out for, at all costs.